1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods integrating, into clothing or worn articles, components which produce electrical energy based on mechanical strain on, movement of or pressure on the components, making the electrical energy available for use or storage.
2. Problems in the Art
It has been proven by the intense research in the Marine Biology field that many sharks have highly sensitive receptors located in their snouts, known as the Ampullae of Lorenzini. These receptors can detect any form of bioelectrical field generated under water from quite a big distance. When the electrical field becomes too powerful relative to such a shark, it generates muscle spasms in the sharks which tend to repel the shark from the area of the electrical field.
Various devices have been promoted in the marketplace claiming to repel sharks with use electrical fields. Examples are hand held electrical batons, a product called Sharkshield, and others. All of them have proved to be inefficient to use (e.g., they require the user to see the shark first!) or heavy, cumbersome, and expensive. There is a real need in this area for improvement. For example, there is a real need for technology that addresses the demands for a safe water environment for surfers and divers in an efficient and inexpensive way.
There are many times and situations when it is advantageous for a scuba diver or surfer to have an electrically powered device which is accessible and useable. Examples in scuba diving include, but are not limited to, lights and cameras. An example for surfers would be a light or an audible/visible alarm. Various such devices exist, but require electrical power sources, normally batteries. As is well known, batteries tend to be heavy and can be relatively bulky. They also have limited operating time.
There is a real need in this area for improvement. For example, there is a real need for technology that addresses the demands for electrical power in a water environment where it is difficult to have hard-wired connection to an electrical power source and is cumbersome and inconvenient to carry batteries, with their limited operating time.